Red Scarf
by Tyrone I.G. Shawver
Summary: To enjoy the snow, you must bundle up warmly and accordingly, and share the moment with a close friend. Or crush, as the case may be… SxYY


Title: Red Scarf

By Tyrone I.G. Shawver

Pairing: Seto/Yami

Rating: PG/K+

Warnings: So much fluff that your teeth will fall out…And Shounen-ai, duh…and run on sentences. A lot of them. Heh, sorry to those who just grind their teeth at such a thing :grins:

Status: One-Shot

Summery: To enjoy the snow, you must bundle up warmly and accordingly, and share the moment with a close friend (Or crush, as the case may be…)

Author Note: In this fic they are all out of high school, at least, and about in their early twenties. It would probably be considered AU-ish, too, since Yami has his own body.

Author Note #2: so I've had this for long enough now. Would you believe I wrote this during summer break 2005:dodges thrown sporks: Yah, sorry, I completely forgot about it then I was trying to Beta it myself. :sweatdrops: I still think that there's something wrong with it, I dunno, but I like how it turned out. I hope you enjoy!

- blah blah - :Yuugi

**-blah blah **- :Yami

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**

It was snowing in Domino City. Not really a blizzard, not just a sprinkle, just a very satisfying snow; covering the ground with a thick blanket of softness and cold.

On the plush couch in his living room, Mutou Yuugi sat drinking a cup of steaming hot-cocoa, flipping through a new magazine the Kame Game Shop was planning to sell, 'surveying' what his customers would be buying. Since his grandpa had handed over ownership of the shop to Yuugi, the young man had taken his job very seriously, always trying to find new and interesting things to sell so that they were never short on customers; young, old, and everywhere in between.

Yuugi had closed the shop early that day due to the snow. Even if there wasn't really enough to completely prevent anyone from shopping, business had been slow, and besides, all his help was gone. Jou had a bad cold (Yuugi smiled slightly at the memory of his friend calling in sick, he'd been barely intelligible with his stuffed nose) and Yami was…somewhere.

Realizing that he didn't know where his other self was, Yuugi looked up from his magazine, a slight frown on his face. Feeling through their link, Yuugi knew that Yami wasn't in the house, so he sent out a call for the spirit.

-Yami?... -

There was a long pause before Yami answered him. He sounded sleepy. **- Hmm? What is it, aibou? -**

- Where are you? -

**- …I think I'm at the park. -**

Yuugi raised an eyebrow. - You think? -

Yami chuckled slightly. **- Aa, everything is so covered in snow that it's hard to tell, but I'm within walking distance of home. Do you need me? -**

- No, no, everything's fine. I was just wondering where you were. Enjoying the snow? -

Yuugi grinned slightly as he received blissful sigh for an answer. It was no secret to anyone who knew the spirit that he loved the snow immensely. Well, it was more that it fascinated him to no end, the cold he could probably do without. But being an Egyptian pharaoh and living in the desert for his whole life (when he'd been alive), he'd never known something like snow could even exist. It was damn cute to see the way Yami acted when it began to snow.

**- I'm not cute… -**Yami grumbled, overhearing Yuugi's thoughts.

- Yes you are. -

**- No I'm not. -**

- Yes you are. -

**- I'm not! -**

- Yami, you're cute when it comes to snow. Everyone says so, deal with it. -Yuugi was grinning now as grumbles began floating over their link. Yami had lost this round. One point to the chibi.

Setting his empty mug onto the coffee table, Yuugi snuggled into the thick blanket he had wrapped himself in.- When do you plan on coming home? -

**- Soon, before it gets dark… -**

- You wearing that red scarf? -Yuugi suddenly asked, hoping to startle the spirit into answering by switching topics quickly like that.

There was a long pause. **- Nice try, aibou. -**

- You're wearing it. -Yuugi stated, lips twitching.

**- … -**Yami closed the link.

Lifting himself up so he could peer over the back of the couch, a full blown smirk stretched across the man's face as he spotted the coat rack and the bare hooks, save for his own coat. '_Yeah, he's wearing the scarf…'_

**

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**

Where Yami no Yuugi sat, you could just barely see the road in the distance behind a stretch of what used to be grass covered ground, but was now completely white, glittering like the palest sand of the desert. The spirit was bundled quite comfortably in a long sleeved shirt and thick pants, a thick sweater, a brown over coat with frog clasps, and the red scarf.

Ahh, the scarf. Without his hikari there, Yami could wrap the long piece of red wool up to his ears, over his nose, and just breathe in the smell of it, and not have anyone laugh at him about the silly smile on his face. If anyone ever asked he said that it was a gift from last Christmas, given anonymously, probably form one of his many admirers. One of his richer admirers, because surely such a scarf couldn't be found in a simple clothing store.

It was such an exact match to the shade of his eyes that even Yami had been surprised at how accurate it was; the deep, red hue was almost indistinguishable with his irises. The wool was almost not wool at all; never scratchy, and so soft like a cloud against your skin. It had no tag, no manufacturers insignia, no '100 Alpaca Fur' boast, it was simply a scarf made to perform with the utmost satisfaction of the customer, and look damn good, too.

It was actually embarrassing, Yami mused, because he really didn't know where it came from, but he defiantly had a hunch. The scarf _had_, actually, come in an anonymous package, with no card or Christmas wishes, but the moment Yami had wrapped it around his neck, he'd been almost overwhelmed with the cinnamon and spices and the _scent_ emanating from the red fabric. He'd instantly been able to identify that smell.

When Yuugi had seen his face go red on that Christmas morning, he had a huge impish grin on his face, knowing all too well what the blush Yami sported meant.

"_It's from Kaiba, isn't it?"_

"…_Shut up."_

And, oh, how Yami hoped that it really was from the blue-eyed CEO. Since Yuugi and Kaiba had graduated from school, Yami had had no excuse to see him anymore. During the occasional duel they still had, they were so surrounded by the media and spectators that there was no chance to just act like Yami and Seto instead of the 'Dueling Champions'.

Yeah, Yami had a crush on Kaiba Seto. Happy? He'd admitted it to himself only a short time before graduation, but by then it was too late. Suddenly, poof, Seto was too busy with his job and had no more time to socialize with any 'common folk' (like he had before…).

Yami snuggled almost miserably into his coat, feeling a slight depression fill him. It'd been nearly a year since he'd seen the brunette, other than on the T.V. or in magazines. To say that Yami was feeling separation anxiety might be a _little_ understatement. While it was easy to say that he missed his dueling partner, both her and Yuugi knew that that wasn't the case.

So lost in thought was the spirit that he didn't notice the crunch of snow from behind him, indicating the arrival of a person.

He _did_ notice, however, when a body was set next to his own on the cold bench, and could you imagine how surprised our Yami was when he looked over and up and saw none-other than Kaiba Seto himself?

Gaping like a fish was not how he'd prefer to have the millionaire see him, so Yami carefully closed his mouth and settled for a cool stare at the brunette, who hadn't turned to look at him yet. The last time Yami had seen Kaiba face to face he'd still been growing out of the lingering boyishness he'd been able to hold onto, but now that was all very gone. Skin pale from a life indoors accentuated the vivid blueness of his eyes and the deep chestnut color of his hair, which hung longer than normal due to the cold weather. His nose was straight but not long, his cheek bones defined but not sharp, his shoulders broad underneath his winter coat but not so much that he was over-powering. Yami raked his crimson eyes over the long form of the man beside him, savoring each detail of his profile that he had memorized but could never get enough of, and caught a hint of cinnamon and spices on the air that he didn't think was from the red scarf he wore.

Yami suddenly felt blood flush his face and he turned to look ahead again, mortification causing his heart to beat faster than it had been since the other had sat next to him. What if, as he so suspected, Seto really _had_ sent him the scarf? The brilliantly red scarf that matched his eyes so perfectly and stood out like a beacon against his plain brown coat. Yami didn't know _why_ he felt so embarrassed; if Seto _had_ sent him the scarf, he would be pleased to see him wear it, right? Right. And if he hadn't, then he wouldn't make a comment, right? Yeah…

His little pep talk with himself didn't stop Yami from jumping slightly as the brunette unexpectedly spoke up, quietly, his voice low and unusually warm, or maybe it was just that the TV made him sound so cold…

"So, you like the snow?"

It was such an uncharacteristically random question for Kaiba to ask that for a long moment, Yami was speechless, ending up gaping like a fish despite his best efforts. Finally he blurted out:

"Are you feeling alright, Kaiba?"

The man turned to him, raising an eyebrow, his face a cool mask, but something sparking in his eyes. "_I'm_ feeling fine; are you?"

"Yes." Yami says, maybe a little too defensively, because Seto raises both eyebrows and looks forwards again.

The two sat there for sometime, in a mixed silence of comfort and slight tension. It started to snow again, little flakes drifting down from the sky to land and melt on Yami's face, cold ice turning into slightly warm water. Unthinkingly, Yami let a smile slide on his face and he tilted his head back, closing his eyes against little intruders and opening his mouth, sticking out his tongue to try and catch a flake on it. With his eyes closed, he couldn't see Seto's stare, the way the blue eyes flickered over the slightly exposed skin of his neck and dragging across his tanned face; it's natural roundness making him look forever younger than he really was, his upturned nose and full lips, which were parted almost enticingly, and those eyes. Those exotic, sharply slanted large eyes with irises of such an amazing color of crimson that one look at them and you were forever under their spell.

Seto licked his lips and asked, simply, "What are you doing?"

Yami cracked open one eye to look at Kaiba. "Trying to catch a snowflake."

Seto was, for his part, slightly dumbfounded. "Why?"

Yami sat forwards, giving Seto a long look, then a little grin spread across his lips. "Because it's fun."

Seto blinked in confusion as Yami leaned back again, resuming his previous position to patiently wait for some unwitting snowflake to fall onto his tongue. After deciding that Yami was serious about thinking such an inane act was actually fun, Seto paused, shrugged, and leaned his head back too, closed his eyes, and opened his mouth.

A small laugh from beside him make Seto look over. Yami was grinning at him from where his head was held, sideways to the ground, his red and gold hair falling over his face. "What?"

"You look ridiculous."

Seto smirked. "So do you."

Yami laughed again and tuck out his tongue at him, then smiled widely as a flake landed neatly on the very tip, instantly disappearing. "Ah! I got one."

Seto's laughter bubbled up inside him at the impossibly childish glee on the duelist's face, escaping in a chuckle that shook his frame, and he decided that, perhaps catching snow on your tongue could possibly be an interesting pastime.

**

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**

The two men stayed out on that park bench for the rest of the afternoon, dusk creeping up on the horizon and streetlights flickering on by the time they realized how late it had gotten.

Despite the year of no contact and the public view of rivalry between them, the two men had been able to have some very interesting conversations about such nonsensical topics, that no one would ever believe Yami if he told them that Kaiba Seto was the one to bring them up. Perhaps it was just him, but Seto seemed to honestly want to converse with him, and never led their talk into dueling or technology. They lingered about what life has been like after school, what their respective acquaintances and friends were up to (they both got a laugh over the reported hardships Ryou was experiencing around living with Bakura) and everything in-between with no clear change in subject when a change did indeed happen. It was by far the most entertaining and enjoyably experience Yami had had in a long time.

But all good things must come to an end, or else they might not be considered good things at all and just become a normal occurrence with no significant value.

Inevitably, Yami did notice the darkening sky and the impending arrival of night. He remembered his promise to Yuugi to be back home before dark, even though he was quite capable of taking care of himself. Without a doubt, though, Yuugi would worry his head off about him, it was just in his nature, so Yami stretched out his legs and arms in a long, lazy, cat-like motion and stood languidly to his feet, feeling lethargic with comfort and a little stiff with cold. Seto stood as well, a questioning eyebrow raised.

"I promised Yuugi that I would be home before dark." Yami explained, his voice muffled slightly as he adjusted his coat and pulled his scar around his neck more firmly. He hadn't thought of it since he and Seto had begun to talk, and still didn't even think of it then, but the movement caught Seto's eyes and he stared at the red scarf, as though noticing it for the first time.

Yami's hand stilled in the process of brushing snow off of the garment, seeing the other man's look and realizing that he had quite forgotten about the scarf and all his concerns about it. He waited, hand poised at the fold around his neck, watching Seto with his crimson eyes, watching for Seto to do something, to have some reaction.

The shorter man's breath caught for a moment and his hand dropped as one long fingered hand reached out and caught the tail of the scarf, brining it up to his face for inspection, and Yami realized that they were standing very close together. His heart beat almost painfully fast as the blue eyed man rubbed his fingers along the soft wool, savoring the feeling of the light cloth sliding over his fingers, and Yami about died when he brought the garment up to his nose and inhaled deeply, blue eyes hooding slightly.

Yami quelled the urge to step back when the taller man stepped forward, dropping the tail and grabbing instead the fold where his own hand had rested moment before, pulling him forwards and leaning down at the same time.

When their lips touched, Yami was sure that he _had_ died.

Seto's lips were warm and slightly dry against his own, thin but supple as they moved against Yami's in a chaste but slow caress. Blue eyes had closed when he had initiated it, and crimson ones followed soon after as their owner tilted his head slightly, standing taller and pressing back, returning the kiss as his heart exploded in joy. Giddiness swept through him, warmth spreading from where their lips touched, and Yami's senses were filled with the smell of the other man, cinnamon and spice, and a slight musk that was all his own.

All too soon did it end, the moment their connection was severed Yami felt a hole appear, and already desperately wanting more of that touch. But for now he was content with the lingering feeling against his lips and the almost overwhelming elation which pressed against his heart.

Seto did not move fully away, still staying close enough that Yami could feel puffs of breath against his face.

"…Nice scarf."

His murmured words were so soft that Yami could almost not hear them, but as they were uttered and as Seto moved away, the spirit knew that even if in the slightest impossible chance that Seto had indeed not given it to him; this red scarf, which so perfectly matched his eyes, was now his most favorite piece of clothing in the world.

Yami watched as the tall man swept away into the darkening park, a flurry of snow from a nearby tree falling softly around his form. He found himself comparing the two with each other; snow and Kaiba. Both were cold and sometimes unrelenting, intimidating, but if taken care of and enjoyed in the right way, they could both become the best things to grace the earth.

The crimson eyed man realized that he had never answered Seto's opening question to their encounter, even though the answer was obvious.

"_So, you like the snow?"_

"Heh, yeah, I like the snow, Seto…" Yami murmured, a smile on his face as he turned and walked away to home and, hopefully, a waiting mug of hot cocoa.

**Fin**

Always remember to brush your teeth after sweets :grin:

PS:I really, really, REALLY hate the format puts stories in!I cant use any interesting symbols anymore! They're all deleted and vanish instantly! AAARRGHHH!

Ok, I'm better now. Please review!


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